Heartbreaking defeats for Bahrain’s Riffa in France

TDT | Manama 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Hussain Almaskati

The Bahrain-based team, Riffa, faced a tough day at the FIBA 3x3 Clermont-Ferrand Challenger 2024, exiting the tournament after two heartbreaking defeats in Pool C. Despite their best efforts, Riffa lost both matches by a single point. Riffa’s first game saw them just beaten by Germany’s Dusseldorf LFDY with a score of 20- 21.

Their hopes were dashed again in an equally close match against the home side, Paris, ending with the same scoreline. A final-second lay-up sealed Riffa’s fate.

This tournament, featuring twelve international teams, serves as a qualifier for the Lausanne Masters on August 16-17, part of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.

The top three teams from Clermont-Ferrand will secure spots in Lausanne. The World Tour will visit Bahrain later this year for the Manama Masters, scheduled for November 1-2. Riffa’s roster for the tournament included Belgian players Dennis Donkor, Caspar Augustijnen, Jonas Foerts, and Vic Van Oosterwyck.

Against Dusseldorf, Riffa controlled the game early on, leading 10-6 midway through. Despite their strong start, a crucial two-pointer by Leon Fertig brought Dusseldorf within a point at 10-11.

Donkor responded with a two-pointer to extend Riffa’s lead to 14-10. However, Dusseldorf mounted a comeback with an 8-2 run, driven by Fertig and Florian Wendeler, to take the lead.